Never the Same
by Lonesome Bird
Summary: Anna is not crazy. She never was. That must explain why she's still in a mental hospital. Post-Movie


_**Never the Same**_

**A fanfiction based on **_**The Uninvited**_

No copy right infringement intended. The author does not own the movie _The Uninvited. _This story was not written for prophet and was written purely for the author's enjoyment.

Author's notes after story.

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Anna stared at Dr. Silberling, unaware that he seemed to be talking to her. His mouth was moving, flowing over each syllable smoothly and easily, just as a man of his professional stature should speak. Not that Anna cared. Stature meant nothing to her. It was only a word invented to raise certain humans above others. Besides, she couldn't afford to be distracted by the bearded doctor. She was too busy concentrating on what her sister was doing behind the doctor's chair.

Anna's sister, Alex, was running her hand along the spines of the multitude of books contained on the bookshelf in the office. Occasionally, she would turn, raise an eyebrow at Dr. Silberling, and look pointedly at Anna as if to say, "Are you seriously gonna sit there and take that crap?"

No. Anna did not want to sit there and take that crap. But she didn't really have a choice. She had nowhere else to go, and she couldn't escape if she tried. Being in a mental institution had its downsides. Not that she was crazy. Oh no, Anna was _not _crazy. She was a hero, in fact. She had saved her sister and her father from the wrath of that murderous, conniving, she-wolf named Rachel. She had killed Rachel to protect herself and Alex from being killed, just as their mother and Matt and those poor children had been.

But of course, no one had believed her. Rachel's sphere of influence had dug too deep, and many of the people around her had been corrupted by that woman's lies. So of course, she was punished for her bravery and self-sacrifice. It had cost her a lot to get rid of Rachel. It had almost cost Anna her sanity…again. Thank god she still had that. And she still had Alex. Alex always believed her, no matter what. Alex kept her sane. That was probably why Dr. Silberling let Alex visit her so frequently, even sit in on some of their sessions. If Anna's own father would not even visit her, then why should her last connection to the outside world be stopped from keeping her company?

But Anna was thankful for the visits. Alex kept her up-to-date on what was happening to their father and in the outside world. It seemed as if the more time Anna spent in this place, the more the real world seemed like an illusion. Anna knew she had to get out of this horrid place, and quickly. She looked up and caught Alex's eye. Alex stared for a moment, then gave a thin-lipped smile and nodded. She understood what had to be done.

"Anna?" Dr. Silberling's questioning voice broke her out of her stasis. "Anna, did you hear me?" Anna focused her green eyes on the doctor and inclined her head. "Good. So, if you'd like, we could schedule a visit next week." Anna must have looked more confused than she thought she did, because Dr. Silberling sighed and shook his head. He wasn't angry, only slightly frustrated. "You didn't hear much of what I said, did you?"

Anna sheepishly blinked and shook her head no. Dr. Silberling looked down and slipped a piece of paper out from one of the many pieces of paper on his worn-out clipboard.

"The town," he said. "I've been evaluating you for several weeks now, and there seems to be enough improvement to deem you well enough to make a few short visits to the outlying town. What do you say? The fresh air could do you good."

Anna thought about how nice it would be to get out of this place, even if it was just for a little while. The fresh air could do a person wonders. Anna was beginning to wonder what would happen if she never saw the outside world again. She shuddered inwardly, as she thought of the sunken eyes, papery skin, and incoherent mumblings of Mildred, one of her floor mates. She did not want to become like Mildred. Not at all, not ever.

"Okay," she said with a slight smile. "Can Alex come with me?" Anna noticed that Dr. Silberling's smile faltered for a moment, but he quickly pulled his smile back on.

"Of course, Anna," he said. And that was that.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

After her session with the doctor, Anna returned to her small room. Nothing had changed. The bulletin board was still up, covered with all of her treasured pictures. Her desk, chair, and posters were all the same. What was different? Then Anna noticed it; a glint of light had caught her eye. On the very unsatisfactory pillow lay a pearl necklace. It had three strands and each pearl was dull, most likely due to the number of times that its owner had pawed the gems. Next to those pearls sat Mildred.

"Pretty Anna," Mildred said, her voice full of terror and pain and hate, "I came to see you, to see if you wanted to hear my stories again." Anna stared ahead at Mildred, her green eyes blank. Inwardly, her heart was filling with malice. Something about the bedraggled, clearly insane woman made Anna just want to hurt her. Very badly. But she didn't. Not yet anyway. She would have to bide her time, plan it carefully.

"No, Mildred," Anna said, "I don't. Please leave. I need to talk to my sister." Something about this statement made Mildred giggle in a most unfortunate manner, leaving Anna clenching her fists and teeth in anger. But once again, Anna did nothing. Mildred took her pearls, rose, and left the room. One day, Anna was going to have to ask Mildred where she got those pearls from. They were so similar to the ones that Rachel had owned…or stolen, rather.

Anna flung herself on the cot, waiting for Alex to arrive. She always stayed behind after Anna's sessions with Dr. Silberling. She was probably trying to convince him that she was well enough to go. Anna appreciated her sister's help, but she knew that she would never be free of this place. The thought overwhelmed her with despair. Tears filled her eyes and she covered her face with her arms. Anna thought about the things she had seen that night, the night she had killed Rachael.

Anna did not regret killing Rachel. Rachel had killed her mother, so therefore, Rachel deserved to die. It was that simple. Anna did not remember much about that day, only a few scattered images. A trail of blood that started in her own room…Rachel's glassy eyes, staring up at the sky from the dumpster where Anna had laid her to rest…Alex's teary eyes as well as her father's horrified ones…and finally, the image of herself covered in blood, holding the very knife that had destroyed Rachel. Anything else that had happened that day was blurry and Anna could not seem to hold onto those thoughts if her life depended on it.

The point was, Anna knew that her mind was fooling her, trying to help her deal with the stress of being imprisoned for the rest of her life. She never would have killed anyone other than Rachel. And she was not crazy. Anna was pondering this very deeply, and did not hear Alex until she sat down on the bed next to her.

"Hey sis," Alex said, her voice clear, but also clearly concerned, "what's going on? Are you okay?" Anna removed her arms from in front of her face and looked lovingly at her sister.

"I'm okay, I guess."

"You guess or you know? Come on, _chica_; give me something to work with here." Alex smiled slightly and brushed Anna's shaggy hair out of her face.

"I just…I don't want to be in here for forever, Alex. I need to get out. I need to see dad…" At Anna's mention of their father, Alex's eyes darkened. "What is it, Alex? Is something wrong with dad?"

Alex shook her head and looked at Anna. Anna could tell that something was indeed amiss, but she wasn't quite sure what. There would be no use in pushing it, so Anna left the issue alone for now.

"It's nothing. So, how are you holding up? Are you excited that you get to go to the town next week? I know I would be." Alex said.

"The fresh air will definitely be nice," Anna replied, her eyes clearing a little bit, "but it's nothing compared to actual freedom. Alex, I…I want to get out of here. Please, help me." There was a pleading tone in Anna's voice.

"Anna…" Alex said, looking away, "how do you expect me to do that? You killed someone and –''

"Someone who deserved to die!" snarled Anna, standing up suddenly and glaring at Alex, her eyes flashing. Both were quiet for a moment, letting the moment draw out. Then Alex spoke.

"Anna…she did. I know she did. She tried to kill us and she killed mom and those other children…but you still killed." Anna was silent. She sat back down on the cot, kneading the scratchy blankets in her hands. She looked at Alex.

"Alex, are you going to help me or not?" Alex was blank-faced for a moment, trying to weigh her options as Anna stared her down.

"Fine, Anna. You win. I'll help you escape." Anna flung her arms around her sister.

"Thank you, Alex! Thank you so much!" Alex hugged her for a moment, then untangled Anna's limbs from around her neck.

"I've got to go, Anna. I was supposed to have the car back an hour ago. I love you. We'll talk about this next time, okay?" Anna nodded, smiling.

"Bye, Alex!" she called, as Alex slipped out the door. Anna loved Alex very much. They were sisters, after all. Anna lay down on her bed, feeling very drowsy all of a sudden. As she drifted to sleep, thoughts of freedom flowed through her mind. The thoughts were tinged with blood and death, but Anna had grown used to that.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Anna awoke to the sound of pearls clinking against one another. She gritted her teeth, feeling the anger flow through her. Mildred. She was always bothering Anna, always staring at her, smiling at her, watching her as she slept. Anna decided that she would rid herself of Mildred before she made her escape next week. It would be so easy; Anna doubted she would even try to defend herself.

Anna opened her eyes slowly, expecting to see Mildred standing over her bed. What Anna saw was much worse. Anna felt her heart stop and felt the blood freeze in her veins. It was Rachel! Rachel was standing there, covered in blood that was dripping all over her floor, the pearls in her hands clanking against one another. Anna was so afraid she couldn't even move.

"Anna," Rachel whispered in a ragged voice, "Anna! Why, Anna? I only wanted a daughter…" Anna's eyes widened as Rachel reached out a blood-covered hand for her throat…Anna screamed.

Immediately, nurses and workers came running into Anna's room, fully expecting the worse. All they found was Anna, screaming and thrashing in her bed. Dr. Silberling rushed in after the nurses.

"Anna, Anna!" He shouted, trying to get through to her. She couldn't hear him. All Anna could hear was Rachel's voice. Dr. Silberling reached a hand out in an attempt to stop her flailing wrists. Anna only screamed harder.

"N-no!" she sobbed, still flailing her small fists. "You deserved it! You deserved to die!" Before the doctor or any of the other nurses could act, Anna wrenched herself off the bed and fled out the door. Anna was still sobbing and running when she bumped into another body. Anna looked up, prepared to turn and flee. She didn't have to.

"Anna? Anna, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" It was Alex. Anna couldn't even answer, she was so relieved. Alex understood. She pulled Anna into her arms without a second thought.

"A-Alex! She was there!" Anna choked out. "She wanted to hurt me!"

"Who was there, Anna? Who wanted to hurt you?"

"It was Rachel! She's back, Alex, just like mom was! Only she wants to h-hurt me!" Anna heard Alex gasp, and then felt herself be released. Then she felt another pair of strong arms grab her from behind and hold her tight.

"Get that sedative in her now! She's going to hurt herself!" Anna saw the glint of a needle in the dull hall lights and panicked again. She hated needles.

"No, NO! Alex! Help me, ALEX!" She cried. A nurse stepped in front of Alex, blocking her from Anna. Anna felt a needle enter her arm and a moment later, sweet darkness filled her every sense. Maybe sedatives weren't so bad.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"So tell me," Dr. Silberling asked, "what was it that made you panic last night? That's never happened before." Anna looked at her dirty shoes and frowned. She mumbled something under her breath. "I'm sorry, Anna, I didn't quite catch that. What did you say?"

"Rachel," Anna whispered again, barely audible enough for the doctor to hear her. Anna noticed that Alex was not there today, even though she loved looking at all the books on Dr. Silberling's shelves. Her heart sank slightly.

"Rachel," Dr. Silberling restated. "Now I'm assuming this is the same Rachel that you…" he let the sentence trail.

"Yes," Anna said, "I killed her. I finished what I started Dr. Silberling, just like you said." Dr. Silberling looked deeply troubled.

"Anna," he said softly, "you know that is not what I meant."

"It meant whatever I wanted it mean. That's what I started out to do; it only made sense to finish it." Dr. Silberling sighed and rubbed his eyes. He suddenly looked very tired.

"Let's skip that for now then, Anna. What did Rachel say, do? Did she hurt you in any way?" Anna shook her head, her bangs flopping from side to side.

"No…She had her necklace in her hand and she had blood all over her…she said, 'Why, Anna? I only wanted a daughter…' and then reached out and grabbed my wrist." Anna looked down again, suddenly feeling very foolish.

"Anna, let me ask you a question," Dr. Silberling said. Anna nodded for him to go ahead.

"Do you feel sorry for what you did to Rachel? Do you feel any remorse at all?" Anna's eyes narrowed and she felt her blood boil.

"No," she hissed in a voice that was almost not her own, "not at all." Dr. Silberling studied her for a moment, and then wrote down a few notes on his clipboard. He put his pen down and studied Anna.

"Anna," he said after a few moments, "I'm afraid you won't be going on your town visit next week. Your recent actions have set you back a little, I'm afraid." Anna said nothing. She simply stood up and left the room, glaring daggers all the way. When she arrived at her room, Alex was sitting on the cot, waiting.

"Alex," she said, her mood improving slightly, "when did you get here?"

"Only a few minutes ago," she said, flipping a stray piece of hair out of her face. "How are you doing? You were a mess last night, what happened?"

"I…I told you, Alex. I saw Rachel. And why were you here anyway? Didn't you leave?"

"I was only gone for a few minutes baby sis. But then I realized I had left my jacket, so I turned around to come grab it. I could hear you yelling when I got here, so I ran towards your room. That's when I ran into you. After they sedated you, I grabbed my jacket and left. They didn't want me to stay and see you like that."

"I don't blame them, I was a mess," Anna said with a grim smile. She sat down next to Alex. "Now you see why I have to get out of here, Alex. I have to, or else Rachel is going to get me." Anna suddenly felt very small, like she was five years old again. Alex put her arm around Anna's small frame.

"You'll be okay, Anna. Some bitchy ghost isn't going to get you. I won't let it. Now…about this escape." Anna perked up slightly, her eyes sliding up to her sister's face. "Dr. Silberling said that he was going to delay your visits, right?" Anna nodded yes. "Okay. Well, there's not much we can do about that. Just try to…I don't know, Anna. Be good. No crazy stuff, even if you see Rachel again. You have to control yourself. And when you seem well enough, he'll probably let you go out, right? And then we can escape. You can finally come home again."

Anna liked that, the thought of going home. So for the next few weeks she grimaced and inwardly groaned and took every annoyance and shoved it in her back pocket and ignored it. Anna even allowed Mildred in her room to tell her stories. She was beginning to feel so normal, she thought she would go crazy. The irony did not escape her at this thought. She walked through the days without a sign of Rachel and barely any glimpses of Alex until Dr. Silberling finally approached her in her room one day.

"Hello, Anna," he said, popping his head in as he made his rounds, "how are you today?" Anna was bothered at having to speak when she was grumpy and did not wish to converse with anyone, but she did for the sake of seeming…normal.

"Hi, Dr. Silberling. I'm fine." Anna turned back to the sketch of a pair of eyes that she was working on. Dr. Silberling did not leave, he simply stood and stared. After a moment, he finally spoke again.

"Anna, after a few weeks, I feel as if your behavior has improved some. Therefore, I believe it is now okay for you take trips to the nearby town, if you desire to." Anna's face lit up, though not for the reasons Dr. Silberling thought.

"Thank you, Dr. Silberling! I can't wait! When can I go?" she asked excitedly. Dr. Silberling looked at his clipboard and flipped a few pages, his eyes scanning for the correct answer.

"Well, Anna, if all goes well, you should be able to make a trip within the next three or four days."

"Great! Just let me know, Doctor."

"I will, Anna. See you next session." Dr. Silberling walked away, a smile on his face. Anna was also smiling, though there was something less kind about it. She put her pencil down and stood up, making her way towards her bed. She flung herself on it, a smile still on her face. Finally, she was going to get out of here. Anna's hand hung over the side of her metal bed and she ran her fingers on the underside of the frame.

There was a sudden stinging sensation on the tips of her middle and index finger and she pulled them back, hissing slightly. She held her hand up, carefully examining them. Her fingers were cut; small lines of blood were seeping quickly down to her palm. Anna quickly shoved her fingers in her mouth, the salty blood making her mouth water. Once Anna had made sure that her fingers had stopped bleeding, she had to wonder: what had cut her fingers?

Throwing a quick glance at the door to make sure no nurses were walking by, Anna slid onto the floor on her knees. Bending down, she peered under the bed. On the frame of her bed was a piece of metal that had been fashioned to support one of the pieces of metal that would hold the mattress up. Through the years of wear and tear, the piece had come loose. The edge was sharp and pointed, which is what had cut Anna.

Anna reached up and grabbed the piece of metal, careful to avoid the point. She wrapped her hand around it and tugged. It didn't budge. Anna did not give up. She tugged again, this time using more of her body weight. The bed moved slightly, making a scraping sound on the floor. The metal wiggled slightly, but still did not come undone. Anna's brow was set in concentration. She flexed her hand and placed it back on the protruding metal piece. She pulled again, this time giving it a sharp yank. With less resistance than she expected, the metal came loose, causing her to hit her hand on one of the bars that skirted the bed. She swore silently, rubbing her hand that would no doubt bruise. But she didn't really care. She had the metal. She had a weapon. Anna smiled.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Anna, are you ready to go?" Alex asked, standing in the doorway of her room.

"Yeah, let's go. We have to stop and see Dr. Silberling first though." Anna said as she finished tying her sand colored converses.

"Alrighty then, lead the way, sister of mine." Alex said with a smile. Her smile didn't quite reach her eyes, Anna noted. As they made their way to the Doctor's office, Anna nonchalantly patted her hand against her jeans pocket, making sure the piece of metal was still there and wasn't poking out. It wasn't. When they arrived at Dr. Silberling's door, they stood there for a moment, neither of them knocking.

"Are you gonna go in, or not?" Alex asked impatiently.

"Actually," Anna said, "I just realized that I forgot something. I'll be right back, wait here for me, okay, Alex?" Alex nodded and leaned against the wall, spacing out immediately. Anna turned and walked back the other way, slowly to avoid notice. She had a dark purpose in mind and didn't want to attract any suspicion.

Making her way back to her hall, she headed towards Mildred's room. When she arrived, she slowly poked her head in to make sure that the girl was in and alone. She was. The corners of Anna's mouth slid up in what was intended to be a smile. She threw one last look down both ends of the hall. Empty. She was lucky. But she had to be fast, just in case. Anna walked in the door, causing Mildred to look up.

There was fear in her already psychotic eyes. But when her eyes fell upon Anna, the fear resided, if only slightly. Then there was confusion. Anna had never willingly entered Mildred's room before. Nonetheless, a stupid looking grin appeared on her face as she stood up.

"Pretty little Anna," she said, "what brings you here? Would you like to hear more of my stories?" Mildred's hand slid into the pocket of her robe, and Anna could hear the pearls hitting against one another.

"No, Mildred," Anna said, taking a step forward, "I'm not." Sensing hostility, the fear in Mildred's eyes flared up again. She took a step back, falling backwards onto her bed.

"Then what do you want, my Anna?" Mildred asked. Anna's hand slid down to her pocket and she slowly pulled out the piece of sharp metal. Mildred's eyes opened wide and her mouth went slightly slack. Anna's eyes narrowed as she took another step towards Mildred. Her hand clenched on the metal and without warning, she placed her hand over Mildred's mouth.

"I want you to leave me alone," she hissed, getting right in Mildred's face, "I want you to stop telling your stories, and," Anna held the tip of the metal to Mildred's throat, "and I want you to tell me where you got these damn beads from." Mildred blinked, the fear still evident in her eyes. She was silent for a moment; the only sound was her muffled breathing. Then she began to laugh. It was choked and quiet and squeaky and insane and Anna could not stand it. She pushed the metal into Mildred's throat, careful to avoid any splatters of blood.

Mildred gave a gurgled gasp, and her eyes rolled back into her head. Anna quickly removed her hand from Mildred's mouth and placed it on her back, preventing her from falling backwards. Carefully, oh so carefully, Anna leaned Mildred back and pulled her feet up onto her bed. She then rolled her onto her side, giving all by passers the illusion that she was asleep. Anna smiled again, tucking the metal into her pocket at the same time she turned to the door.

"Goodbye, Mildred," she said, walking towards Dr. Silberling's office. Once again, she walked slowly and unassumingly. No one took any special notice, and she even smiled at a few of the nurses. Many of them had grown fond of Anna since she had first been here. Alex gave Anna an annoyed look when she came back into view.

"What took you so long?" she asked. Anna smiled at Alex.

"I'll tell you later," she said. "Now come on, I'm eager to get out of here." Knocking lightly on the door, Anna took Alex's hand in her own. Alex gave a comforting squeeze.

"Come in!" Dr. Silberling called out. Anna pushed the door open and walked in. Dr. Silberling was at his desk, a thick book open on one side and his trusty clipboard on the other. He looked up and smiled when he saw Anna. "Well, Anna, are you ready for your trip?" he asked.

"Yes, Dr. Silberling. I'm very excited."

"Well then, that's very good. There are a few rules I have to inform you of before you go, however. First, you only have three hours. You must be back before those threes hours are up, or we will send people out looking for you. It is a privilege to be able to make one of these trips without an attendant, a privilege that not many have had. So, make the most of it, Anna. Second, we encourage you to be friendly and make contact with people, but please do not draw attention to yourself. It would also probably be best to keep it under wraps at where you are from. And finally, don't break any laws."

"That's all?" Anna asked, shifting on her feet.

"Yes, Anna. That is all. Now let me escort you down to the exit. You'll need me to get past security." Dr. Silberling rose from his desk and went to open the door. Anna and Alex followed him as he led them down to the first floor, past the numerous security people, and to the front door. "Here we are, Anna. It's only a short walk down to the town; it should only take around ten minutes. Have fun!"

Anna smiled and waved as she walked out the door. The smell of pine trees and clear air hit her at the same time a wonderful realization did: she was free. Anna turned to Alex, who was standing by her side.

"What are we waiting for, Alex? Let's get the car and go!" Anna said, ready to be back at home. Alex gave her another annoyed look.

"We can't," she said.

"What do you mean we can't?" asked Anna. "How else are we going to get home?"

"We can't because they'll notice that we're gone. There are security cameras in the parking lot. We'll have to go to town and get a taxi. Did you not think this over at all?" Anna deflated slightly. She had thought about it, she just hadn't considered all of the variables.

"What about money?" she asked.

"We'll get some from dad when we get home. Now come on. Time is wasting. We want to be long out of here before our three hours are up." Alex grabbed Anna's hand and pulled her to the sidewalk along the road. Anna gave one last glance back. She saw Dr. Silberling standing in the door, frowning.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The trip to the town was quick and uneventful. On their way there, Alex turned to Anna.

"So, what took you so long back there anyway? You said you would tell me." Alex asked. Anna smiled again, her eyes growing darker. She reached into her pocket and ran her fingers along the metal.

"Oh, I just had to take care of a little problem," she said. Alex frowned, but kept walking.

"Ooookay, I'm not even going to ask," Alex said, turning to Anna. Alex looked into Anna's eyes for a moment. Anna's eyes gleamed slightly and Alex gave a small smile. Now she knew what Anna had done. And that was okay, really it was. Mildred probably would have done the same thing to Anna sooner or later. All it meant was that the two sisters had to move a little bit faster, in case the body was found sooner than intended.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Alex and Anna were on their way home. Finding a taxi had been easy enough. The wait was the worst part. It took a little over an hour and a half to get back to the house, not to mention how expensive it was going to be or how mad their father would get at the both of them. But it would be worth it.

As the taxi turned onto the road that led to their gorgeous lakeside home, Anna could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Would her dad look any different? Move differently? Would his voice sound the same? Anna was almost jumping in her seat. They arrived at the gate, where Anna hopped out and punched in the code numbers to open it. Anna ran and hopped back in the car as the gates slowly floated open. The taxi driver headed on through and parked next to her father's SUV. Anna was pleased to see that Rachel's silver BMW was nowhere to be seen.

"That will be one hundred and two dollars and thirty five cents," the cab driver said, as he pulled to a stop.

"Just a minute," Anna said, "We'll get the money from our dad. We'll be right back." The cab driver gave Anna a strange look as the sisters got out of the cab. Anna ignored him and hurried in. The door was unlocked, and she rushed forward into her beloved house. "Dad!" she yelled out, "Dad, I'm back!"

There was silence for a moment, then a hurried stomping of shoes running on hardwood floor. Anna looked at Alex and grabbed her hand for support. The footsteps came closer and finally….

"Anna?" the surprised voice of Steven Rydell echoed from behind Anna, and she turned. "Anna, what are you doing here? How did you get here?" The taxi honked outside, and Steven looked.

"Can you go pay him, dad?" Anna asked. "Neither of us have any money." Steven's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Us? Anna, who is-'' the horn honked again, causing Steven to sigh and pull his wallet out while he walked to pay the impatient cabbie. Anna waited calming, smiling at Alex and observing her father. He didn't seem all that different. More grey hairs and he looked more tired than he used to, but that was all very understandable. Steven came back in the house, shaking his head.

"You took a cab all the way here?" he asked.

"Yes. It was the only way. Alex said that they would notice I was gone if we took the car with us." Steven's eyes filled with sadness. He placed his hand on Anna's shoulder.

"Anna," he said slowly, "do you remember anything at all from that night?"

"A few things," she said, "but not much. Why, dad?"

"Do you remember what I told you? That thing I told you about Alex?"

"Dad, you don't have to talk about Alex like she's not here. She's standing right next to me. Right, Alex?" Anna turned to Alex, who looked angry, but nodded.

"Anna…" Steven was about to continue, but didn't when he saw the look on his insane daughter's face. She was staring straight past him, looking into the doorway of the kitchen. Her mouth was hanging open and her eyes were wide. "Anna? Anna, what's wrong?" Anna screamed and fell backwards, scrabbling back into the wall and groping in her pocket for her piece of metal. Alex was gone.

"It's her! Dad, look behind you, it's HER!" Anna was hyperventilating, barely able to form a sentence.

"What? Who, Anna? Who is her?"

"RACHEL!" Anna screamed. Rachel was standing in the doorway, holding onto it for support. Her clothes were ripped and bloody, and her eyes full of infinite sadness and anger. There was a needle in her hand. She pressed down on the plunger, causing whatever liquid was in it to shoot out. She smiled at Anna. Meanwhile, Steven was silent.

"Rachel?" he repeated after a moment. Anna did not respond. She simply stood and pushed past him. He saw something glinting in her hand and tried to grab her, but failed. "Anna!" he yelled, "Anna, come back!" Steven followed her into the next room. Anna was standing in the middle of the room, blood running down her forearm.

"Alex!" she screamed, "Alex, help me!" Steven ran at her, grabbing tightly onto her shoulders and staring into her eyes. The scene was eerily familiar.

"Anna! Anna, listen to me! I'm going to tell you what I told you last time: Alex is _dead_. She died nearly two years ago! Rachel is dead too. She is not here. She is not back from the dead! She is not going to hurt you!" There was silence. Anna stared blankly at him, and her breathing slowed down.

"…dead?" she asked, as if she were having trouble forming the word.

"Yes, Anna. Dead. My god, what has happened to you?" Steven asked, his voice full of pain. He embraced Anna, her blood staining his shirt.

"…dead…" she repeated again. Anna fainted, falling into her father's arms. Steven stood there for a moment, unable to comprehend what had just happened. He then scooped his unconscious, underweight daughter up in his arms, walked to the next room, and laid her on the couch. He then sighed, kissed her on the forehead, and walked to the phone.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Anna awoke with a start. White. That was all she saw.

"Am I dead?" she wondered out loud. There was no answer. She tried to sit up, but had a difficult time. It was then that she looked down. She was wearing a straightjacket. Panic shot through her. She began to struggle, unintentionally making the jacket even tighter.

"Anna," a voice said, "I wouldn't do that." Anna froze. No. No. No. No. NO! It couldn't be…Anna turned and looked to the right. It was her. Rachel. Anna screamed again. "Oh, Anna. I'd listen if I were you. I know about these things. I'm a nurse, remember?" Rachel began to laugh, and Anna began to cry.

"You're not real, you're not real, you're not real…" she repeated to herself. Rachel only smiled, a drop of blood working its way down her face.

"Of course she's real, pretty Anna," said another voice to Anna's left. She looked, though her vision was blurred by tears. "And I'm real. And I'm going to be in here with you for forever. I can tell you _all _of my stories, every last one. Even the one about how I got my beads." Mildred said. Anna fainted again, her forehead plastered with sweat and her face with tears.

The door to the padded room opened a few moments later, and two nurses and Dr. Silberling walked in.

"Poor girl," one of the nurses said. "Has she always been this bad, Dr. Silberling?" The doctor looked down sadly at Anna.

"No," he said, "not at all. I had a lot of hope for her. I thought she could get better. But she will never be the same now. Not ever." Dr. Silberling crouched down and wiped her face with a towel that one of the nurses handed him. Anna stirred slightly.

"Alex," she murmured. Dr. Silberling's eyes misted up.

"Who's Alex?" the other nurse asked.

"Alex was her sister who she accidentally killed," he muttered. "She's been imagining that she's been alive for the past two years." The nurses were silent. "When she wakes up, give her a mild sedative." He added as he stood up and walked out of the room. The nurses nodded, and followed him out the door. It shut, leaving pretty little Anna all alone, never to be the girl that she once was again.

**The End**

* * *

**Hello, and thank you for reading _Never the Same_, my fanfiction on one of my favorite movies, _The Uninvited_. Feedback would be much appreciated :D**

**I first saw this movie in theaters and I loved it. It's not the greatest movie in the world, but I love love love Emily Browning (she's like, completely stunning), and I loved how it was more of a tragic and psychological movie than anything else. Seriously, it's so sad! Anyway, I never really had any inspiration to write a fanfic until now. Don't ask why, 'cause I have no clue haha**

**But yeah. Anna is basically completely crazy in this fic. She can only remember snippets of what happened the night she killed Rachel, and once again denies knowing that Alex is dead. Whether the ghosts are real or not are up to you to decide. :3**

**If you have any questions, please ask, I will be glad to answer them. Thank you again for reading and have a lovely day!**

**LB**


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